July 4

[BBMmk2]

I had an American themed day as well. Hope all went well RFG!

[Dave2002]

When we lived in CA we celebrated a "getting rid of the colonies, Day". One of our number wanted to play cricket - but it didn't happen - not my game.
Amazingly there was a local cricket team - I think mostly populated by Brits and Australians.

Hope your celebrations went well, Richard. Incidentally, you mention Gershwin. We saw Porgy and Bess the other day - curious when you think about it that a white American of Jewish descent would be writing about black southern people - with a Christian religious strand, mingled with violence, murder, gambling, cheating and drug addiction - though perhaps the theme of poverty and maybe being outcasts was significant to him. The plot is somewhat depressing, the music less so

[Serial_Apologist]

Excellent thread - for which, many thanks to Richard.

[richardfinegold]

When we lived in CA we celebrated a "getting rid of the colonies, Day". One of our number wanted to play cricket - but it didn't happen - not my game.
Amazingly there was a local cricket team - I think mostly populated by Brits and Australians.

Hope your celebrations went well, Richard. Incidentally, you mention Gershwin. We saw Porgy and Bess the other day - curious when you think about it that a white American of Jewish descent would be writing about black southern people - with a Christian religious strand, mingled with violence, murder, gambling, cheating and drug addiction - though perhaps the theme of poverty and maybe being outcasts was significant to him. The plot is somewhat depressing, the music less so

Depressing plot, good music; sounds like Standard Grand Opera fare to my ears!

[Petrushka]

Loved the Sousa marches for many years, first had as a Marble Arch LP with the Pride of the '48 Band (whoever they were) back in 1967. Later, with the Band of the Grenadier Guards. My favourites are the less well known ones eg: Fairest of the Fair, A Century of Progress and The Invincible Eagle.

Incidentally, Edwin Bagley's fine march, National Emblem cleverly incorporates the Star Spangled Banner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh9WGsf_kg8

[Bryn]

[Padraig]

There are other thoughts concerning the Fourth of July which were expressed on the Fifth of July, 1853, and indeed even more recently than that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0baE_CtU08

[richardfinegold]

There are other thoughts concerning the Fourth of July which were expressed on the Fifth of July, 1853, and indeed even more recently than that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0baE_CtU08

Excellent—I am just about to start a biography of Douglas

[Dave2002]

Are we going to have a thread for quatorze juillet aussi?

[LMcD]

Are we going to have a thread for quatorze juillet aussi?

Pourquoi pas?

[vinteuil]

Are we going to have a thread for quatorze juillet aussi?

... sicuro! E il Ferragosto :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferragosto

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferragosto

,